Monday, August 17, 2009
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15 comments:
Ernie & Maran ? Did they do club & theaters out of clown makeup?
cc
I guess everybody knows that this
is Ernie Burch (out of makeup)
and Maran
Buckles -
Didn't know where else to put this comment, but I spoke with The Patient just a few minutes ago and he said to let everyone know that he's showing both thumbs WAY UP. He's looking forward to walking around a little today, but won't be able to pick up anything heavy for about a month. His spirits were GREAT! ~frank
Ernie also played Santa.
At the Bill Kay Shrine date in Albany, NY, Blinko was preparing the balloons with a floor model "bellow" that you pumped with your foot and the air was forced through a pipe that rose from the floor to chest level.
He told me it was very old and he never had to rely on electric or be hassled without electric so he could prepare the balloons anywhere.
I searched for years to find one without success. Since the arrival of eBay, the online auction site, I have found at least a dozen of them. Some people have no idea what they are and their wacky imagination in writing a description makes me shake my head.
Blinko and Albert White would "explode" onto the floor when making their entrance; they became bigger than life when they were "on".
To my limited knowledge, neither of these classic performers needed to work with a whistle.
Wishing you political correctness,
Mike
Great to hear about Ben
Sounds like whistle envy Mike
(I probably could find you one
or several if you would like)
Or maybe maracas or cymbals
ernie and maran--what fun they were; ernie camping it up, maran keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't digress! we worked many dates together--they always traveled by bus and stayed in "theatrical" hotels; even carried their own cooking materials as they could cook in the room and save money. ernie was great fun to be around and albert white and i were roommates on many building dates--he was a wonderful wonderful person with great stories and talent...underrated! for the once mighty atterbury-produced texas dates i think we renetd a car and we all piled in for the tour--what a hoot! ernie later got a permanent gig at circus circus in vegas where he made good money and had year round work for years, 10+years...that was a gift for him and maran as they didn't have to tour and could enjoy some steady income..not long after they retired ernie sadly took ill so the long awaited good life wasn't in the cards. They deserved it too as they worked oh so hard all those years...ernie was a great schmoozer...had the shrine temple guys wrapped around his finger...i miss them all as they brought a lot of joy, lessons and laughs to my life and many others!
Jerry,
You spoke wonderfully of Ernie and Maran with absolute truth. Indeed two wonderful, wonderful people.
Wade Burck
Chic-
In all fairness, there are a couple of comics who use the whistle appropriately, to emphasis a bit of business.
However, there are many wannabee comics who think all they have to do is blow a whistle, missing the point entirely.
I remember when the washerwomen gags and gorilla parodies were very well-done and always in the program. Then the copycats jumped in, with little or no talent, and ruined those acts because of an inferior product.
And I ain't whistling Dixie.
See you at Show Folks, just listen for the whistle.
Mike in all fairness
Whistles are for referees and
marching band leaders
And of course RINGMASTERS
(Maybe even traffic cops)
AND THAT'S ALL
Funny isn't it?
When I announce I rarely use a whistle since the cues are called by the headphone wearing techies and the acts can hear their announcements over the antique PA system.
I was brought back to reality last spring when I did a date for Hamids and the entire show is still accustomed to "the whistle" - whistle to end, whistle to start, whistle to walk, whistle to stop.
On that date I did feel like a referee.
Shrine 88, CIrcus 0
Speaking of whistles... I can remember how Lou Jacobs often whistled during his routines - seemed to work for him... and for me! ~frank
"Ernie + Maran"
A great show team also great performers and all around down to earth show folks.
As for clowns using whistles, it's kinda like using the American flag at the end of an act AKA as a flag waving finale used in a lot of act's using children in the past.
My father would say, "rule of thumb" when you see an American flag come out at the end of an act you can pretty well tell the act was quite weak.
I can recall we were showing a casino in Reno in the late 50's. Back then, being one of the four Whiz Kids on unicycle ranging in ages from 4 to 11, I can recall the owner wanting to extend the engagement which we were unable to do at the time. Upon hearing this the owner then told my dad; this is the first kid act I have seen that did something beside pick their nose ,scratch their ass and wave the American flag on stage.
As a kid this line cracked me up and even in this day and age I have often repeated it.
PS,I can still recall being schooled on the nose picking and ass scratching bit.
But Frank he just whistled with
his pursed lips.. very different
Chic,
How so???
Wade Burck
Real cute Wade
remind me to show you sometime
And I thought I was being cute
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